Tool for closing and opening containers of the metal drum or barrel type



Feb. 17, 1953 w. LOCKHART 2,628

TOOL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING CONTAINERS OF THE METAL DRUM OR BARREL TYPE 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1948 Feb. 17, 1953 w. LOCKHART 2,628,811

7 TOOL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING CONTAINERS OF THE METAL DRUM OR BARREL TYPE Filed Sept. 2, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ""vattornegs Patented Feb. 1 7, 1953 TOOL FOR CLOSING AND OPENING CON TAINERS OF THE METAL DRUM OR BAR- REL TYPE William Lockhart, Cleveland, Ohio; Sadie Lock-' hart, executrix of said William Lockhart, deceased, assignor to Sadie Lockhart Application September 2, 1948, Serial No. 47,497

5 Claims. (01. 254-49) The invention relates to appliances or tools for manipulating the closure securing means of metal drums or barrels.

The body part of such metal containers commonly has an end opening defined by an outwardly extending bead at the top edge of the container side wall and is fitted with a flanged closure for the opening. The closure usually is securedto the body by a transversely split clamping ring formed of a metal strip of channel cross section and fitted with a threaded tightening bolt that engages apertured projections or lugs that depend from the adjacent ends of the split ring, the bolt fitting loosely in one of the projections and having its threaded stem operatively engaging internal threads in the other projection. In applying the clamping ring to a container it is necessary first to force the ends of the ring apart to expand it so that it will pass over the bead of the container and the fiange of the closure and then to draw the ends of the ring together so that it tightly clamps the flange of the closure to the bead oi the container, usually with a sealing gasket of rubber or the like interposed between the flange and bead.

It is anobject of the present invention to provide a tool adapted both to expand the clamping ring of a container to facilitate its application to the container (or its removal therefrom) and to compress the ring and facilitate locking thereof by its threaded bolt or other tightening means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool for the performance of the above noted functions which is of simple construction and susceptiblein use of easy and rapid manual operation so as to reduce the labor cost of closing and opening containers.

. For the attainment of the above stated and other incidental or auxiliary objects, the invention'consists in certain forms, arrangements, and combinations of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 7 Fig. '1 is a plan view showing the tool of the present invention applied to a metal drum.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool shown in Fig. 1 and of the upper portion of the metal drum, a part of the tool and drum at the right side of the figure, being broken away to disclose some of the structure in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section of the wrench device preferably combined with the tool and designedto rotate the screw boitof the-clamping rin'g-of the met'aLcbntaine'r'.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the improved tool applied to the clamping ring of the metal drum and showing both the tool and the clamping ring in expanded form preliminary to applying the clamping ring to the metal container of which it constitutes a part.

- Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and showing parts of the tool and container clamping ring in elevation.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the refer ence character A designates the open topped body part of a sheet metal drum while the character 3 designates the closure thereof. Body A has its upper edge turned outward to form a bead Al and closure B has its periphery formed with a flange Bl shaped to engage the inner surface of body A and the top of bead Al. A transversely split clamping ring C of channel cross section engages the bead Al and the flange BI to secure them together with an interposed sealing gasket D of rubber or the like. The clamp-ring C is fitted at its two ends with dependin apertured lugs C l and C2 which are engaged by the threaded clamping bolt E to contract and secure the clamping ring in known manner, the clamping bolt E having loose engagement with lug Cl and threaded engagement with the lug C2. The clamping bolt may be of suitable known construction but that shown in the drawing is of the improved form claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 47,498, filed September 2, 1948.

From an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, it will be apparent that in applying the clamping ring C to the container to secure the closure thereof, it is desirable to spread the ends of the ring so as to expand it and permit it to pass over the flange Bi of the closure and the bead Al of the drum. This operation is readily effected by means of the improved tool.

The tool comprises a transversely split band I, preferably of channel cross section as shown in Fig. 2. Adjacent one of its ends band I is provided with a rigid lug 2 to which is pivotally connected a manual lever 3. The other end of band I is similarly fitted with a lug 4 which is connected to lever 3 by a link structure generally designated by the numeral 5. This link 5 comprises a part 6 pivotally connected to lug 4, a part 1 which is pivotally connected to lever 3, and an'elongat'ed part 8 having its middle section of angular cross section and its two ends formed respectively with right hand and left hand screw'threads which operatively engage threaded holes inthe parts G and 1 so that the part 8 servesasla turn buck-1e toadjustthelength 3 of link 5. The purpose of this adjustment will presently appear.

One end of band I is fitted with an inturned expander lug 9 adapted to engage one end of the clamping ring C in the manner indicated in Fig. l. The other end of band is fitted with a finger it which is pivotally conected to the band to swing on an axis parallel to the axis of the band so that it can be swung inward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Finger i is formed with a downwardly extending expander lug i-Oa which is adapted to engage the adjacent end of clamping ring 0. Finger it] also has an upstanding lug Ifib to facilitate its manual adjustment. Band I is further provided with a plurality of inwardly extending lugs II, II which are designed to engage clamping ring C and position the band. in. relation to the ring when the band is made to embrace the ring in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The tool is preferably fitted with a. socket wrench generally designated by the numeral l2. The wrench comprises a stem i3 and detachable socket i l. The stem is bent to form an actuating'crank i5, andisfitted withg-arotatably mounted hand grip 16. The wrench i2 is suspended from the manual lever .3 of the tool by a ring H and hook ill, the ring ll having its stem swiveled in lever 3. while hook it is rigidly .secured thereto.

Understanding of the operation of the tool will be facilitated by comparison of Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawing. In Fig. l, with the manual lever B in one of its two extreme positions generally parallel to band i, the three pivotal connections of the lever and the link are nearly on the same straight. line but the pivotal connection of the lever 3 to lug 2 is disposed slightly out.- side of the line through the two other pivotal connections so that the elastic expansive force of both band i and the clamping ring .0 serve to lock the lever in the. position shown. In this position the lugs 9 and ma .carried by band I engage the adjacent ends of clamping :ring C. Consequently, when lever 3 is moved from the position-shown in'Fig. 1 toward the position shown in-Fig. the ends of band I are forced apart and with them the ends of clamping ringC. .In the extreme open 'positionshown'in Fig. 4 .the three pivotal points of lever 3 and link 5 are againnearly 'in line so that very little pressure en iever 3 suilioes to hold the-band l and .ring C in their'expanded form.

Inthe initial use of the improved tool when it is desired to applya clamping ringto its container, the band of the tool is expanded (by movement of lever 3) as much as maybe needed to permit the channel section of the band to pass readily over the ring. The toolband I is then contracted by moving Iever 3 to the "positien shown in Fig. 1, whereupon, turn buckle 18 is adjusted, if necessary, so that with lug 9 engaging oneend of ring C the-other end of the ring is positioned so as to permit the pivoted finger It to move'into the full line position shown in Fig.'1-where its lug Illa-is in alignment with and canengage the other end of ring'C. This adjustment of' the length of the.link"-5 is facilitated by having'the lug 18a on the pivotal member-i0, sincethe member ID :can be swung to the dotted. line position shown in Fig.1 to. avoid interference. between lug Illa and clampingring C "and permit the. required concentric nesting ofthe. clamping ring and the tool bandduring the processor adjustmentpi the length. of. ,thelink.

'4 The movable mounting of lug I (la may also facilitate disengagement of the tool from the clamping ring, as will later more fully appear. It will be understood that when once the adjustment of link 5 has been made no further adjustment is required for its use on any number of clamping rings. of containers of the same size.

The adjustment of the tool having been effected, it will be seen that in closing a container the band I of the tool is applied to the container clamping ring by moving lever 3 to somewhat expand band I while the band is passed over the clamping ring. Thereupon, with the band circumferentially positioned to permit engagement of its lugs 9 and Illa with the respective ends of the clamping ring, lever 3 is again moved in the expanding direction to expand the clamping ring sufliciently to permit it to readily pass over the closure flange BI and bead Al of the container. Lever 3 is then moved to the fully closed position shown Fig. 1 so as to compress the clamping ring C :and bring its lugs. Cl, C2, sufficiently close together to permit engagement of the clamping bolt Ewith the threaded lug C2. The wrench I2 may then be con .veniently used to turn the bolt E and effect complete closure and locking of the clamping ring C. To do this the wrench is disengaged from hook it so that the stem l3 of the-wrench can be swung about the axis of loop I 1 to the tangent position shown in Fig. 1 permitting proper en.- gagement of the wrench socket with the head of bolt E. Said bolt having been tightened, the wrench is swung to engagement with the suspension hook l8. Thus the wrench is always maintained inconvenient position for quick and efiicient use in the closing of a container. The clamping ring having been tightened in the manner stated, the tool is removed from the container by first swinging finger I!) to' its inoperative position shown by dotted lines .inFig. l to disengage its lug Ilia from the end of ring C, and then moving lever .3 to expand the tool band enough to release it from the clamping ring.

In the use of the tool to open containers, the band of the tool is expanded to pass; over the container clamping ring in proper position. circumferentially to have its lugs 9 :and Illa en.- gage the ends of the ring. Atthis time the finger iii of the band may, if necessary, be swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. I. Then with the tool band fully contracted (as. shown in'Fig. l) the wrench I2 is used to loosen and disengage the clamping screw E, the clamping tool serving meanwhile to reduce the; tension. on the clamping screw and minimize wearcn :the screw threads. Of course the. tool performs this latter function also during theclosingrofi-containers. Next, withthelugsand [0a. engaging-the ends of ring '0', the tool lever-3 is moved tuexpand the tool band and clamping ring-topermit-easy remova1v of the. ringfromthe container.

It will readily be understood that the simproved too1 can be used -.successfully -.with container clamping rings diiiering'in construction more or less from that :whichhasibeenillustrated herein .and also that vthertoolcwhich has been shown. and described. may be modifiedin various respects without departinggfrom the invention as defined in the.- appended claims.

"What is claimed-is:

11. Ina tool for applying anuremovms t transverselysplit closure clamping rings ,ci metal containers, the combinati n int ta .zt o r rselr split band constructed to surround circumferentially and separably engage such a closure clamping ring; expander means carried by the end por-- tions of the band constructed to operatively engage transverse surfaces of the end portions of a clamping ring for exerting expanding force on the ring; and manually operable means mov-ably connected to the end portions of the tool band and operable, when the tool is applied to a clamping ring with the expander means operatively engaging transverse surfaces of the end portions of the ring, to positively expand the band and the ring and alternatively operable to contract the tool band and the ring.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the means carried by the tool band for engaging the end portions of a clamping ring comprise lugs that extend transversely of the band to engage the transverse end surfaces of the clamping ring.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2 in which one of the lugs has a movable connection with an end portion of the tool band for movement into and out of alignment with the adjacent end of a clamping ring with which the tool is operatively engaged.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the same manually operable means act by one movement thereof to expand the tool band and a clamping ring with which the band is operatively engaged and by another movement to contract the band and the clamping ring.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the manually operable means at the ends of their band-expanding and band-contracting movements have their parts in position in relation to each other to be yieldingly held in such positions by the elastic contractional force and the elastic expansional force, respectively, to which the band is subject.

WILLIAM LOCKHART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,146,421 Funk July 13, 1915 1,357,154 Diem Oct. 26, 1920 2,075,383 Vaughn Mar. 30, 1937 2,257,454 Brouhon Sept. 30, 1941 2,555,194 Kojan et a1 May 29, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 122,416 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1927 

